On Thursday, September 13, in honor of National Rice Month, the Arkansas rice industry will donate 107,500 pounds of rice to the Arkansas Rice Depot to help feed hungry families in Arkansas.  Participating rice mills are Cormier Rice Milling, Producers Rice Mill, Riceland Foods, Inc., Riviana Foods, Specialty Rice, Inc. and Windmill Rice Company.

The donation will be made at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 13, 2012, at the Arkansas Rice Depot, a statewide food bank that works with 600 Arkansas hunger relief programs includingfood pantries, school food programs, disaster relief organizations, and a statewide hunger hotline. This year, the Arkansas Rice Depot honors its thirtieth anniversary of feeding Arkansas’s hungry.

The Arkansas rice industry is a major contributor to the state’s economy. Arkansas is the largest rice-growing state in the United States, producing nearly 9 billion pounds annually. Although the Arkansas rice industry has faced tough economic times due to the high costs of production and the economic effects of unusual weather conditions, it is committed to giving back to the community by helping others.

Sponsored by the USA Rice Federation, National Rice Month is now in its twenty-secondyear. USA Rice Federation is the global advocate for all segments of the U.S. rice industry with a mission to promote and protect the interests of producers, millers, merchants and allied businesses. USA Rice members are active in all rice-producing states: Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. The USA Rice Producers’ Group, USA Rice Millers’ Association, USA Rice Merchants’ Association and USA Rice Council are members of USA Rice.